Subaru and his friends, after conquering the Pleiades Watchtower, were teleported to a strange place, and Subaru is the only one who knows where. Can they survive in this mysterious place, starting from zero?
In a warm, green place, where someone slept, sleeping with a strength that made it seem as if they hadn't slept a single time in 400 years, he was found.
Natsuki Subaru, Spiritual Knight, and the knight of Emilia, one of the five royal candidates, a position of great importance and vital significance, since whoever wins the royal selection will become the new Queen of the Kingdom of Lugunica, one of the four great nations of the world.
Subaru was fast asleep, wishing never to wake up again, so he could hold on to this feeling of recovery that filled him, causing every part of his exhausted body to be filled with an explosive surge of energy.
And although he wished this feeling would last forever, he began to see things. He was falling from a tower, surrounded by spiral staircases around its diameter, falling without stopping.
He was moving and spinning, he had no control over his body, from his point of view, the world was spinning, spinning, and spinning without stopping.
Despair and vertigo were the only feelings he could understand right now, the pressure of the air against his body, he felt like he was going to be crushed just by that. He started to scream, but the moment he did, his lungs filled with air and caused him immense pain. It was like not being able to breathe and not being able to exhale at the same time.
He vomited the entire contents of his stomach, which wasn't much, since the shock of losing his memories and dying in the fall had ruined his appetite.
As he choked on the vomit, which covered his face and burned his eyes, falling downward caused the vomit to fall onto his face.
Even falling hundreds of meters, the smell of stomach acids, the vomit, entered Subaru's nose as if he had lived there all his life.
As he choked on his vomit, his body hit the ground, and all his limbs broke and bent at the same time, in a way that one would not think a human could end up like that. Turned into a bloody ball of flesh and bones, Natsuki Subaru died.
He sat up quickly and began to pant, sweat running down every part of his body.
Subaru: "HAAAAH HAAAAH HAAAAH HAAAAH."
He began to hyperventilate, the pain... He could feel it.
The pain of vomiting burning his eyes, the feeling of air crushing his body, the feeling of falling with nothing to hold on to... the feeling that every bone was breaking at once, while he felt his eyes pop out of their sockets due to the pressure of the fall, his limbs bending, everything.
ALL THAT PAIN, ALL THAT SUFFERING.
He felt it as if it had happened just a moment ago.
He couldn't take it, he didn't know if he was still in that nightmare, instinctively, his hands went to his arms and began to scratch, when suddenly—
"*LICK*"
A rough tongue licked his face, bringing him back to reality.
Subaru: "Pa-Patrasche?"
It was Patrasche, his faithful obsidian earth dragon, licking his face to calm him down, so close to his face that he could feel her concerned gaze, while his ragged breathing slowly returned to normal.
Subaru: "Patrasche..."
Subaru calmed down and took a deep breath, as if his soul were finally at peace, even if it was just an act and the pain persisted.
Subaru: "No... don't worry, I'm... fine now."
Patrasche stopped licking him, although she was still worried about her rider.
Subaru noticed her gaze and shuddered for a moment, as if she were thoroughly searching his soul to see if he was telling the truth.
Subaru: "Really, I'm fine, don't worry, I'm okay now."
Subaru raised his hand and began stroking the head of his faithful earth dragon as he finished his sentence.
Patrasche: "Kyaa...."
Patrasche relaxed and began to happily receive the caresses. Subaru sighed again and looked down at his sleeves. They were wrinkled from his latest attempt at self-harm, something Subaru could already be considered an expert at.
Even though everyone saw Subaru as a hero who never lost and always knew what to do, helping others all the time, the reality was quite different. Subaru was in constant agony, all the time, most of the time when he sleeps, reliving his deaths as if they were happening at that moment.
Subaru had scratch marks on his arms, which he received not from enemies, such as witch cultists or mabestias, but from himself. Subaru was suffering at all times, but he kept it all a secret, not only because it would break their hearts (literally), but because it was something much simpler.
He didn't want them to worry about him.
For Natsuki Subaru, who had no self-esteem and didn't value himself, whose life was the only thing he could offer, his friends were everything.
Even though he (again, literally, even though technically it was someone else) said,
"You're an amazing guy, Natsuki Subaru."
Natsuki Subaru really believed it at first, but his low self-esteem quickly caught up with him again, and he fell back into despair, as one incident occured that destroyed all of his confidence.
Because Natsuki Subaru couldn't...
"I promise I'll save you."
When he said those words, Natsuki Subaru ended it all, not with the intention of giving up, as everyone would think, and they would be right if it weren't for who he was.
He was Natsuki Subaru.
He ended it all by falling from the tower, not with that intention, but with the intention of saving her.
"Shaula."
Subaru said in a whisper that could easily be mistaken for a sigh, if not for the fact that he hunched over slightly and there was sadness in his eyes.
Even though he promised to save her, even though he made the ultimate sacrifice (his life, but in his eyes it wasn't that big a deal), he couldn't do it.
He couldn't save her.
Shaula, the Guardian of the Stars of the Pleiades Watchtower (*Great Library of the Pleiades, actually*), ended up becoming a black scorpion, like obsidian, and an indiscriminate killing machine, but especially obsessed with him.
He died more than 20 times in this Watchtower. While he was trying to conquer her, she was one of the five obstacles that had to be cleared for his conquest (regaining his memory was not a priority, but if he hasnt realized yet, that they would not have been able to overcome the challenge without his memories back).
The black scorpion was extremely resilient, its pincers were as sharp as the best sword the world had to offer, its tail shot disintegrating rays (which exploded when cut, by the way), and it had a crimson mode that increased all of its already ridiculously high base stats.
When, with everyone's help, they managed to defeat her, and she began to disintegrate, a small red scorpion, about the size of his hand, appeared from her ashes, as if it were her, although a much smaller and less annoying version (only a little less annoying, to be honest, since it squeezed his ear and bit him).
Immediately after that, Emilia arrived with the news that he had passed the final test, and at her request (although it sounded more like an order if you thought about it), he went to rest, although to say that he went to rest would be a mistake, as he fainted instantly.
Although the others thought it was due to Subaru's efforts using Cor Leonis (although that was part of it), it was more mental exhaustion than anything else, as he had died more than 20 times.
*LICK*
Subaru: "Waaah, Patrasche, why did that happen just now?" Subaru asked, as Patrasche licked him again.
Patrasche: "Kyaa"
Subaru, although he couldn't understand exactly what he meant, could more or less accurately understand his intention, although to be 100% sure he would have to ask Otto (Subaru was only 99% sure).
Patrasche had licked Subaru because he had started to get lost in his thoughts, perhaps more than he should have, and she wanted to snap him out of it.
Subaru: "Well, thank you, Patrasche. I'm much better now thanks to you." Subaru said with a smile, albeit a tired, honest, and bright one.
Patrasche: "Kyaaaaaaaa," said Patrasche, wagging his tail and purring like a cat.
Subaru, feeling happier, got up and stretched, as he did in his strange exercises he called radio calisthenics, which he did all the time in the mansion and in the village, and which became quite popular on Roswall territory, and it was spreading quickly across Lugunica.
Subaru: "Well, I'm feeling better now, so I'll be off."
Subaru was about to leave when he felt a strange feeling of fear in his chest, something that Patrasche seemed to notice, as he was growling.
Patrasche: "Grrrrrr..."
Subaru, who tensed up at the feeling, quickly took out his whip and activated the Authority of Greed to check on his friends' positions.
Subaru: "Cor Leonis."
Instantly, several white lights appeared before her eyes, and she began counting them at the same time.
Subaru: "Emilia, Beatrice, Ram, Anastasia, Echidna, Julius, Meili, Rem, Patrasche, Shaknas,
and..."
Subaru, in shock, saw that where Meili's light was, there was also another light, one that wasn't supposed to be there.
Subaru: "Sh-Shaula?" Subaru stammered, as the light above Meili was undoubtedly Shaula's, but that should be impossible, right?
Subaru: *But how? Shaula was supposed to have disintegrated, leaving only her ashes behind. I thought that little red scorpion was something like her... daughter? I don't know, but come to think of it, I never confirmed that she was dead, since I never tried to use Cor Leonis on the scorpion, so it's my fault, but that was because of the tension of the moment.
But still...
Subaru smiled slightly and tears fell from his eyes, though he was interrupted by the feeling of fear again, which he had completely forgotten at the moment, by the revelation that Shaula was still alive.
Suddenly, a shadow began to devour the green room where Subaru and Patrasche were recovering, the miasma, which normally could not be smelled except by specific individuals, stank up the place.
Subaru let out a groan, as he knew exactly what that shadow was.
Subaru: "Satella." He whispered the name, as if the mere act of uttering it was taboo. The shadow sealed the entrance to the room, and Subaru grabbed Patrasche, who was trembling but still growling.
Subaru: *S-Satella?! Why is she here?!?! The external element that summons her, Louis, is supposed to have left my body already. There shouldn't be anything provoking the taboo or Satella anymore, so why is she here???*
Subaru's mind began to work at full speed, searching for a way out of this impossible situation.
But in an instant, even though the shadows were moving slowly, like half a second at a time, they suddenly engulfed Subaru completely.
...
...
...
He was in a dark world where he could neither see nor feel anything. He couldn't feel his body or move his limbs. Something that generated an intrinsic fear in human beings.
But despite this, despite wanting to scream and cry for help, despite the sheer pressure radiating from this place that was not physical, but one that existed only in his soul, something beyond his comprehension, part of him was calm.
He was already familiar with this place, a place he came to from time to time and was only able to remember when he was inside this strange place.
Unlike other times, he began to vaguely regain consciousness, and his brain, although he shouldn't have had one, since he had no physical body, or rather, his consciousness, began to light up, and thoughts began to form slowly, but it was something.
When he died... yes, Return by Death, his only ability, the ability with which he was cursed when he first arrived in this world. Every time he died, every time he failed, even though he thought he was below average in everything, the only thing he was overwhelmingly superior at was that one thing, failing, failure after failure, death after death. When he died, time rewound to a previous save point, something he had no say in deciding, but rather an external force did... no... A person
An external person decided where the save point was made, the Witch of Envy, Satella. Despite this ability, if you asked most people, they would think it was an ability worthy of an Isekai protagonist from another world, since he didn't just turn back part of time... When he died, he rewound time...
In the entire world.
Such a ridiculously powerful ability that it could do anything that depended on probability or fate. For example, did they send assassins to your mansion? Simple, just die and prevent their movements before they happen, knowing what they are going to do before they even had a train of thought, before the neurons in their brains fired to form a thought and then an idea, and they wouldn't even know how the hell you knew.
Everyone would think that with this ability you would be the strongest in the world or something like that, but they always forget the worst part.
To use it, you have to die.
One would think that you could kill yourself with a painless pill or something like that and activate it, but it's not that simple.
Every time, each time he dies, in addition to the pain, the trauma, the agony of death, a horrible and repulsive pain remains permanently in his mind, no matter how hard he tries to forget it, it stays there. And on top of all this, it feels as if his soul is being forcibly torn from his body, the feeling of his soul leaving his body, instead of being given the privilege and right to go to the afterlife, he is forced to live the same thing over and over again, over and over again, over and over again, dying and repeating, dying and repeating, dying and repeating, dying and repeating.
As he continued his train of thought about his ability, without even having reached the worst parts of his curse, he heard it.
A sweet voice reminiscent of the sound of a silver bell was heard, saying a single sentence, but even though it said only one thing, only one word, the feeling and strength, the passion with which it said that word, the love and emotion with which it said it, made all his attention focus on it and only on it.
Without having the opportunity to think about anything else, without the right to even think, he listened to her.
"I love you."
It wasn't the first time he had heard those words, and it certainly wouldn't be the last.
A beautiful figure with long legs, silver hair, in a beautiful long black dress that seemed to embody all the evil in the world, the culprit of every sin imaginable, he didn't care, as it highlighted her figure, her curves, her elegance, her way of walking, the way her chest rose slightly every time she breathed in and fell when she breathed out, something she did all the time and yet, even though it was something so normal that every living being did, when she did it, it seemed like the most beautiful thing ever seen in the entire universe.
"I love you. I love you. I love you."
As the silhouette continued to say that, he just wanted to see her face, which was hidden by a veil as dark as her dress, but slightly more transparent, revealing only the silhouette of her face, the only thing he wanted, desired, longed for, aspired to, wanted, pretended to want, suffered to see, the desire to admire her face, which was carved by the sky itself, all her
He longed to see it for just a second, a totally irrational desire that he couldn't understand where it came from, but he did, he desired and LOVED this figure.
Even though the concept of sound did not exist in this dimension or place, or whatever it was called, he listened to each of his steps with extreme attention, as if his very existence depended on it, something that made no sense and was not logical, but his being knew it... no, it would be better to call it instinct, an idea deeply rooted in his soul, with roots that left no room for questioning.
"I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you.
I love you."
As he repeated it over and over again, without stopping to catch his breath, which somehow he still had despite repeating the same thing over and over again, he wished, he wished he
had a mouth, for the sole purpose of giving the answer to the figure who, with just her declaration of love, filled his being with an incomprehensible warmth, making even the concept of "love" pale in comparison to her confession.
His whole being wanted to respond to her, he wanted it deeply, strongly, firmly, ardently, energetically, vigorously, his entire existence, like even his own birth seemed to have been for the sole purpose of responding to this figure.
Just when he could swear he felt that woman's breath, that he could feel her body heat through his hands, a white light, as bright as the day itself or the sun, devoured that darkness in an instant.
Subaru lost his sense of self in that moment, but he could swear he heard a roar like a dragon before that light, something impossible, since there was no sound in that place.
...
...
...
...
At some unknown moment, a sound reached his ears. A sound he knew, a familiar, nostalgic sound, but one he should never have heard again.
*FIUMMMMM*
Subaru opened his eyes wide and saw it.
Although it was only for a moment, he saw something that, even though it hurt him deep down, he accepted that he would never see again.
A car.
He saw a gray car pass in front of him, with the nostalgic sound of the engine, the wheels touching the street.
He quickly got up to look around and couldn't believe where he was. Even if Emilia told him it was this place, Subaru wouldn't believe her.
A place he thought and accepted he would never see again.
Japan.
He was in a dark alley, with only one lamp lighting up the entire alley, flickering from time to time. In front of the alley, where Subaru was looking, was that place.
The last place he was before being summoned to another world.
Subaru's eyes were wide open, if he opened them any wider they would literally fall out of his face. It was understandable, given the shock of going from a place where there are books that show you the lives of the dead and people who cut black holes with chopsticks, to his home country, after spending more than a year and countless traumas in another world.
He was so surprised that he even forgot to breathe. He was about to pass out from lack of oxygen at any moment and wouldn't have known why, but at that moment he heard a familiar voice.
*Cough cough cough*
Subaru turned around and saw her, a half-elf with silver hair, pointed ears, and amethyst eyes like gems. It was undoubtedly Emilia, the person he promised to protect as her knight, even before formally receiving the title. The person Natsuki Subaru loved madly, loved so intensely that he would die for her (literally).
Subaru: "Emilia...?"
Subaru called her name, stunned, as Emilia was also there, lying on the cold concrete floor.
Emilia: "Subaru...?" she said, her voice so charming and soft that it seemed like it would crumble with a single sigh near her.
Emilia: "Where are we...?" she said as she slowly stood up, as if she were drained of energy after running a marathon (Even though she could run one dozens of time and not be tired).
Subaru: "This..." Subaru was about to answer when he heard another voice.
"Emilia-sama!"
Subaru looked up and saw a pink-haired oni in a maid uniform, with cold eyes that seemed like they could kill you just by looking at you. Of course, this was only for those who didn't know her, because to Subaru, she was like an older sister, Ram.
Subaru: "RAM?! You're here too?!?!." Subaru decided to take a look around and saw that everyone else was here too, slowly getting up as if they were dizzy.
Emilia, Ram, Rem (who was still asleep on the floor but was being held by Ram), Beatrice, Meili, Anastasia, Julius, Echidna, and even Patrasche!
A combination of people that, if any Japanese person happened to pass by, would think they were a group of outstanding cosplayers obsessed with cosplay, and that they were going to some convention, if it weren't for the fact that it was nighttime and very cold.
The only thing that would make them scream in horror would be Patrasche, since she is larger than a human, and her skin and eyes would make any passerby wet their pants.
Ram: "Emilia-sama! Are you okay!?" Ram opened her eyes as wide as she could, surprised
by the strange place they found themselves in, a place she had never seen or heard of in
stories. Even the books in the forbidden library that Ram read from time to time did not
mention anything as incredible as this.
Julius: "Subaru! Ram-sama! Emilia-sama! Everyone! Is everyone all right?!" Julius shouted moderately enough so that potential enemies would not hear him, but loud enough so that his voice could be heard clearly.
As Julius didnt wait for them to respond and quickly asumed a fighting stance, six rainbow-colored orbs, his quasi-spirits (now spirits), settled around him, and he drew his knight's sword.
Julius: "IA, KUA, ARO, IK, IN, NES!"
Although Julius was also surprised by this new place, his duties and responsibilities as a knight forced him to maintain his composure and protect his group, he shouted at his spirits to be alert to neutralize any possible threat that might arise, as they were in a place totally different from that endless desert.
His spirits glowed brighter, preparing for combat.
Subaru: "WOAAAH, Julius! CALM DOWN, WE'RE NOT IN DANGER!"
Subaru shouted a little louder than Julius, but still quietly enough that no one else around them could hear, except for their group.
Julius: "?! Subaru?! Are you awake now?" Julius said. He was still in a fighting stance, but Subaru's words allowed him to relax a little.
Julius: "Subaru, could you explain what you mean by saying we're not in danger? Weren't you swallowed by that shadow too?"
Subaru: "Shadow? You mean—" Subaru, who knew from his Lion Heart that they were at the top of the tower, began to formulate a theory in his mind.
Subaru: *So Satella swallowed them too? That doesn't make sense! I thought she would only go after me because she's obsessed with me for some reason. I know that woman is completely insane, but why did she devour them too?*
Subaru didn't know why Satella had swallowed the others, who were hundreds of meters above Subaru, by the way, implying that Satella swallowed them on purpose.
While Subaru was deep in thought, another voice interrupted him, pulling him out of his thoughts.
Beatrice: "Subaru! Subaru! Are you okay?" said Beatrice, a girl (who was actually over 400 years old!) with blonde hair that looked like two drills on her head, and a dress that would not be out of place on any princess, real or fictional, in this world or in any other.
Subaru watched as Beatrice ran to his side, stood in front of him, and took his hand to protect him from any danger.
Subaru: "Waaah, Beako!"
Subaru didn't have time to process Beatrice's arrival when another voice interrupted.
Anastasia: "JULIUS!" Anastasia shouted (without restraint, by the way), a woman of belowaverage height with white clothes and purple hair, who ran to her knight's side. Although she didn't remember who he was, her instincts and what Echidna had told her made
Anastasia knew that she could trust him completely.
Julius: "Anastasia-sama! Get behind me! I don't know what happened with that shadow, but now we've appeared in this strange place," said Julius as he placed Anastasia behind him, covering her with his body.
Meili: "Onii-san? What happened to the shadow?" said Meili, a little girl with a calmer tone than the others, but who still had a hint of fear in her voice.
Ram: "Barusu, stop drooling like a baby and tell us where we are," said Ram, in an authoritative voice that seemed like it would cut off anyone who didn't give her the answer she expected, but which had a slight touch of warmth and trust.
Subaru: "OK, OK, TIME OUT, TIME OUT," said Subaru as he spoke so that everyone could hear him and crossed his arms in an X shape, momentarily letting go of Beatrice's hand to indicate that they should be quiet and let him speak.
Everyone, now standing but alert, trusted Subaru completely and gave him their full attention without saying a word.
Subaru: "Okay, okay, although I'm pretty sure that was a personal attack because, yes, Ram, you're right, I know where we are, I know exactly where we are, to be honest."
Subaru, before continuing with his revelation, looked around and made sure he was right.
Subaru: *Everything is the same, although a little more worn and dusty, but that is definitely the convenience store I was in just before I was summoned. I recognize the place, the convenience store is still lit up, but there is no one on the street... Although that should be expected at this hour.*
Subaru turned around, looking at his friends who were waiting for his answer, as they looked him in the eyes.
Subaru: *I've been down this alley before, I've walked through it many times on my way to the store from his parents' house.*
Parents. That's right, his parents... his parents, who despite their son being a failure, despite him being a shut-in who never left his room and didn't go to school, who despite all that still looked at him with love and affection, treating him as if nothing was wrong, the parents Subaru was grateful to from the bottom of his heart, even though he didn't deserve them, Subaru was happy to have them.
Subaru: *My parents... it's true, for them I...*
Subaru realized the reality. To them, Subaru had just gone to the convenience store that night and never returned. Surely his parents were desperately searching for him, nonstop, to find him. The pain and suffering that must have caused such pure people, who did nothing to deserve that, the pain of losing their only son...
While Subaru was lost in his thoughts (again), a hand gently squeezed his, although the strength and affection of that squeeze was noticeable.
Beatrice: "Subaru... you can calm down. Your Betty is here with you, and she's here to help you with anything you need."
Beatrice looked at Subaru with her butterfly eyes. Even though she didn't know what was happening, even though she didn't know what that shadow was, she trusted him.
Emilia: "Yes, don't worry, Subaru. No matter where we are, as long as I'm with you, I know we can overcome any challenge that comes our way." Emilia said as she smiled at him and grabbed his arm to show off her muscles. She also had complete faith in Subaru and would believe anything he told her.
They trusted Subaru.
Subaru stared for a second and quickly smiled and continued his speech. He didn't want to think about that right now; first, he had to clarify things to his friends.
Subaru: "Yes... You're right, I can think about that later. For now, as I was saying, I know exactly where we are." Subaru cleared his throat and continued.
Subaru: "First of all, we're sure there's no danger here, so Julius, you can put away your sword and spirits, please."
Julius stared at Subaru, frozen for a moment, but quickly did as he was asked, put away his spirits and sheathed his sword, looked at Subaru, and told him with his eyes to continue.
Subaru: "Well, as I was saying, we're..."
Subaru was about to reveal the strange place they were in, but everyone except Subaru clutched their heads tightly, and there was a loud noise.
CRACK
There was a sound like something breaking, as if someone had hit a window and it had shattered. Everyone had headaches that subsided a few seconds after they arrived, but when the headache went away, they opened their eyes, as if they had remembered something important.
At that very moment, a figure who had been lying on the floor, sleeping, no... sleeping for more than a year, slowly opened her eyes.
A oni with short blue hair, just like Ram's, her eyes, blue and as dazzling and clear as the sky or the sea, opened slowly, and her eyelashes, which had been still for so long, lifted.
Everyone was frozen, and no one made a sound. No one dared to move, even though they had killed Lye Batenkaitos, the Archbishop of the Sin of Gluttony, and captured Roy Alphard, also the Archbishop of Gluttony and Lye's brother. Julius's name had not been recovered, nor had Rem's memories or name.
But after that sound...
"Rem..."
Subaru was in shock and put the hand he had used to clear his throat to his mouth, and tears began to flow from his eyes.
"Rem. Rem. Rem."
Subaru let go of Beatrice's hand, who, given the situation, accepted that her contractor needed this moment to himself.
"Rem. Rem. Rem."
Subaru, who a moment ago had been nervous but happy deep down because he had returned home, was speechless. His throat suddenly went dry, and every mention of that name became more and more difficult for him. He had imagined their reunion thousands of times, after killing Gluttony and saving all the victims of his Authority, but now that his greatest wish had come true, he didn't know what to say.
All his rehearsals flew out of his mind, and he could only keep moving forward.
"Rem."
Subaru approached, walking slowly with his arms hanging down, reaching the place where Rem was standing, while Ram, just as surprised as Subaru, looked at Rem, who still hadn't said a word but was silent.
Subaru crouched down and stood in front of Rem. He didn't know what to do. The joy, the excitement, whatever he was feeling in that whirlwind of emotions that was now Natsuki Subaru, he stood still.
Subaru stared intently into Rem's blue eyes, as if waiting for her to say something so he could finally break down.
Once, he thought.
I only said my name once more, Subaru thought.
All Subaru wanted at that moment was for Rem, now awake, to call him, in that way that showed all the trust and love she put into his name.
Luckily, he didn't have to wait long.
Rem: "Subaru-kun?"
Rem turned her head slightly and looked at Subaru. She didn't know what was going on, where they were, or why Subaru looked like he was about to collapse at any second. As she thought about it, Subaru hugged her so tightly, as if he were afraid that if he let go, she would disappear again.
Rem: "S-S-Subaru-kun?"
Rem said, blushing slightly at Subaru's totally unexpectedresponse. However, she wasn't bothered by it at all. In fact, she was filled with happiness that her hero was hugging her with such affection and love.
Subaru: "You're awake. Finally... after all this time, you woke up, and—I, I..."
Subaru said between sobs, snot running down his face, and he began to cry as hard as he could while holding Rem in his arms.
Everyone else felt as if time had thawed and they could move again, all staring in surprise and wide-eyed at the long-awaited reunion of Subaru and Rem.
Ram: "S-sissy..."
Ram said, coming to her senses and starting to cry, an image that a maid should not show, but Ram did not care about appearances in the slightest at that moment.
Rem: "Nee-sama?"
Rem asked, still confused and in Subaru's arms, who was still crying. She realized that her sister was on her left, holding her so she wouldn't fall.
Ram: "SISSY!"
Ram began to cry as uncontrollably as Subaru, and hugged her sister as tightly as Subaru.
Rem didn't know what was going on, but she enjoyed the moment as much as her hero and her sister did. So, with all her strength, she hugged them both.
Meanwhile, the others began to talk about the beautiful reunion that was happening before their eyes.
Emilia: "She... Rem... is awake..."
Emilia couldn't contain her excitement and covered her mouth. Emilia knew that Rem was very important to Subaru, as he visited her and talked to her every day even though she was in a coma. She also remembered Rem, who, although quiet, was very kind to Emilia.
Apparently, Julius had regained his name, and Rem had regained both her name and her memories.
Beatrice: "Bu-but how...? This should be impossible, I suppose..." Beatrice was as agitated as Emilia, and her memories of Rem were coming back faster and faster. Thanks to her contract with Subaru, she could feel the strong flow of positive emotions overwhelmingly flowing through Subaru's body.
Patrasche: "KYAA KYAA KYAA."
Patrasche, who apparently had also remembered who the blue-haired maid was, began to scream with joy, both because of the happiness her rider was showing and because she remembered who Rem was.
Meili: "The onee-chan who accompanied oniisan to the village..."
To tell the truth, Meili wasn't that close to Rem, and she didn't know her very well before they ate her name, but if she was an important person to Subaru, then she was important to her (although she would never admit it! (,,>﹏<,,) ).
Anastasia: "Roswaal's maid who helped Natsuki..."
Anastasia, who had remembered who Julius was, was very happy and wanted to let her knight know as soon as possible, but she knew she shouldn't interrupt this magical moment (her merchant instinct screamed at her not to!).
She also remembered Rem from the time Natsuki Subaru came to negotiate with her to form an alliance to defeat one of the three great beasts, the White Whale.
Julius: "..." Julius, who didn't know Rem very well except for the stories Subaru had told him and when she had accompanied him to negotiate with his mistress for the hunt for the White Whale, didn't want to interrupt the moment in any way, as he knew how important this person was to his friend.
The atmosphere seemed rosy, happiness overwhelming any other feelings that existed, even the confusion of not yet knowing where they were and what that shadow that had swallowed them was, but since Subaru had said that this place was not dangerous, everyone was relaxed, as they trusted Subaru.
After a few minutes like this, the blue-haired maid finally decided to ask about the current situation, because although she loved the happiness she was feeling at that moment, she wanted to know what was causing so much affection.
Rem wiped the tears from Subaru's eyes with a smile, which surprised Subaru a little, and he stared at her. Then Rem opened her mouth to ask the question that was eating away at her inside.
Rem: "Ummm, Subaru-kun, although Rem would love to be in this embrace with Nee-sama for the rest of her life, she would also like to know what all the excitement is about, and ask where we are."
Subaru, who until then had only moved away from her a little, reluctantly let go of the hug and moved away a little, but he could still feel her breath and scent, so he was satisfied for now.
Subaru: "Rem... Don't you remember what happened?"
He asked, a little worried. Did she forgot about Gluttony's attack?
Rem: "Huh? What do you mean, Subaru-kun?" she replied with a confused look and a slight frown.
Ram said, "Rem, what's the last thing you remember? Can you try to remember?"
Ram said, still holding his sister, but loosening his embrace a little so he could look at her.
Rem looked at her sister and her hero, and then her eyes looked up at the sky, full of stars and a beautiful color. She was going to make sure to admire the sky later, which felt different from Lugunica's but she didn't know how to explain it, but right now she had something else to do.
Rem: "Ummmm, the last thing Rem remembers was being in a carriage with Crusch-sama after defeating the White Whale, and then..."
Rem continued to remember with all her might, and opened her eyes.
Rem: "The carriage we were in exploded and we were attacked, and... Crusch-sama lost her arm... Wait, Is she okay?!"
Rem finished her sentence and asked her question, afraid that something had happened to the woman who had helped them defeat the White Whale and her hero.
Subaru: "She's... alive. Although it's a little complicated to talk about her condition, so I'll tell you later, okay?" Subaru replied with a hint of guilt, and his mood soured a little, but he quickly fixed it and gave her a smile.
Subaru: "Can you try to remember a little more? Don't overexert yourself, you're still weak and you shouldn't try to remember something that causes you pain."
Subaru said as he continued to smile and put his left hand on her right shoulder (Ram is to Rem's left, and Subaru is in front of her).
Rem recovered a little thanks to her hero's radiant smile, and she began to smile too, then continued to remember.
Rem: "Yes, Subaru-kun! The next thing I remember was... their introduction. One was a man with white hair and clothes who called himself... Archbishop of Greed, Regulus Corneas, and the other one was like a child, with green eyes and brown skin and hair, like Archbishop of Gluttony, Lye Batenkaitos..."
Upon mentioning the names of the archbishops, the mood in the room, especially Rem and Subaru's, immediately plummeted, and negative emotions such as hatred and disgust flourished unabated.
Subaru's mood had soured with that revelation, even though he already knew that Gluttony had eaten Rem's name and memories, leaving her isolated from the world, in a coma.
However, he also recovered a little since he had killed Regulus and Ram had killed Lye, at which Ram also smiled slightly.
Rem frowned for a few seconds and then said, "Rem doesn't remember anything else from that point on, everything became blurry, and the next moment I woke up here, next to Subaru-kun and nee-sama."
Rem stopped frowning and began to smile, as the hug she received from her hero and sister at the same time easily made it onto her list of the top five moments of her life.
Subaru blushed slightly and looked away for a moment.
Ram: "Sissy... after that..."
Ram paused to think about her next words. Even though she had forgotten her sister, something that hurt her soul deeply, she had to break the news to her. Rem deserved to know the truth, even if it was painful.
"That happened over a year ago. You were devoured by Gluttony, and your name and memories were taken away..."
Ram frowned and bit her lip and clenched her hands until her knuckles turned white, and continued.
Ram: "You were left in a coma, and everyone forgot you, including me..."
Everyone fell silent and nodded sadly to Rem.
They were all familiar faces to her, like Emilia, Beatrice, and Meili. Rem wanted to talk to them again, but she knew that wasn't the time. Rem stood still for a few seconds, processing the shocking revelation she had been told.
Rem: "One year... I was in a coma for... a whole year..."
Rem: *She felt the weight of that revelation grow heavier in her chest. But It makes sense, because that would answer my body feels like steel, I can barely move my hands. But that state... is not life.*
*If everyone forgot me, then... then that means that even sub-*
As tears began to fall from Rem's eyes, Ram quickly hugged her tighter, trying to comfort her.
Ram saw how her sister felt because of the synesthesia. She was in intense pain, but she knew how to fix it and make her smile again.
Since there was one person.
1 person who didn't forget Rem, 1 person who told everyone who she was, 1 person who reminded Ram that he had a sister, and that person was...
Ram: "Rem... Forgive me for forgetting you. Despite everything, you were my sister, and I forgot you. I wasn't there for you when you needed me most."
Rem tried to deny her sister's statement, but Ram grabbed her hand and continued.
"But... even when everyone forgot you, there was one person... one person in the world who was still able to remember you, Rem. That person told everyone, even Ram, that you were her sister, that she had forgotten you."
Rem opened her eyes again and felt a wave of expectation and excitement fill her entire body.
Rem: "Someone... remembered me...?" Rem felt her heart begin to beat faster and faster.
She wanted to believe, no, she knew who that person was, that person who still remembered her despite everything, that person was...
Ram: "Barusu was the only person in the whole world who could still remember, Rem."
Time seemed to stand still for Rem, who only let out a sound.
"Ah."
Rem felt happy, too happy, so much so that her body could explode and still radiate happiness.
Even when everyone else had forgotten her, even when she couldn't move or speak, her hero was able to remember her. That revelation alone would have saved her from the depression that was coming, but knowing that her hero even told everyone who she was, protecting her, made her feel unimaginable joy.
She began to cry profusely, just as Subaru and his sister had done a moment ago, and, like them, she was crying tears of joy.
Subaru, who had been silent until then, was surprised by Rem, who was hugging him tightly, just as tightly as he had a few minutes ago, and he responded in kind, hugging her and holding her head to his chest as Rem cried tears of joy.
Rem continued to hug her hero tightly, and did not let go for several minutes.
After a few minutes, Rem let go of Subaru, looking him in the eyes. "Thank you for not forgetting me, my hero,"
She said, still with tears running down her face and a smile as radiant as when she convinced him not to give up and to keep going, to try to be a hero... to...
"Just as you set my time in motion when it was stopped, we will make the time that is stopped for you move forward again. Let's start from the beginning... no... FROM ZERO!"
Subaru slowly got up and stood in front of Rem, who was looking at him in surprise, and the rest of the group was also moved by such a touching scene.
Remembering that moment, combined with the smile Rem gave him... Subaru couldn't hold back the tears (which he still didn't know where they kept coming from).
The moon and its light reflected directly on Subaru, illuminating him. The breeze blowing around Subaru intensified for just that moment, causing Subaru's yellow scarf to flutter in the wind, and the silhouette of the moon shone brightly between him and Rem.
He wiped his tears with his forearm and struck his iconic pose, pointing a finger at the sky, and gave Rem a big smile.
Subaru: "Yes... now that you're awake, look at me! I will become your hero, the greatest of all, once again, and you will have front row tickets to see it. Even if Gluttony ate your name, even if you lost a whole year of memories. WHO CARES! We can create new memories, even more beautiful than the old ones. Let's start your life over here, in another world, FROM ZERO!"
At that moment, Subaru looked like a true hero, the kind that appears in stories or legends. If you asked anyone in the world, they would answer affirmatively every time without hesitation.
Rem was breathless, staring with her eyes still filled with tears, which showed no sign of stopping, and her face as red as a tomato.
Rem: "YES!" And she smiled even more than before, something that didn't seem possible was possible. Subaru thought that the blue ela oni looked so beautiful with this smile that
one might think she was a goddess, and he would agree, and anyone who said otherwise would have to deal with his whip.
Emilia was overjoyed for Rem, who had finally awakened and reunited with Subaru after so long. She knew that Subaru had been searching the whole time for a way to save her and bring her back, reading books, using Roswaal's connections and resources to gather information about Gluttony and his victims, talking to her every day for hours even though she was asleep, telling her about his day, stories of his homeland, and what he planned to do next.
Emilia was happy, truly happy for Rem, and even though she tried to ignore it, as she watched that beautiful scene, a sharp pain arose in her heart. She didn't know what it was, but it had to do with Rem.
With that, she remembered something Subaru always told her. That when she accepted her feelings for him, he warned her that a piece of her heart would always belong to Rem.
Then Emilia realized:
*Subaru also loves Rem. He loves her in the same way he said he loves me. But Rem knows what love is. She knows what it means to love. She can give him the answer he hopes and longs for. But I...*
...
The whole group was silent, with big smiles and eyes full of excitement. And after a few seconds...
Ram: "Ram hopes Barusu will stop talking nonsense and trying to seduce his cute and innocent sister, and just tell us where we are."
Everyone turned their gaze to Ram and glared at her (except Subaru, who was already used to it and expected it, and Emilia, who was lost in her thoughts of inferiority and jealousy towards Rem).
Rem: "Nee-sama!" Rem said with some sadness in her voice, as her sister still didn't seem to recognize the greatness of her hero.
Ram asked the question everyone was dying to know, and although she has to admit that Subaru looked a little better than usual at that moment. Just a little. One percent better than usual, she did it anyway.
Ram: "Rem, in case you've forgotten, you already asked where we are, and we did too, shortly before you woke up. We still don't know what this strange place is, but Barusu does."
Rem: "Well, you're right, but..." Although Rem was annoyed that her sister didn't recognize her hero's genius, she couldn't contradict her, since she was right.
Even though she had been distracted by her hero's absolute genius, she still didn't know where they were, and she had no idea, and she was very curious as to why her Subaru did.
Beatrice: "I guess his spirit wants to know where we are too, I suppose." Beatrice said, running to take her contractor's hand. The strong emotions Subaru felt were still as intense as they had been a few seconds ago.
Anastasia: "You're right, Natsuki-kun, I want to know where we are, considering that we were facing the Divine Dragon, and then a shadow swallowed us all. That and the fact that this place affected Gluttony's authority, because I can remember Julius, meaning he regained his name, and the maid obviously regained both her name and her memories."
Julius: "My, lady?!" Hearing that, the best of knights opened his eyes wide and looked at his lady. Julius' name had been devoured by Gluttony in the water city of Pristella, and had been forgotten by everyone in the world. Even his spirits had forgotten him and paused their contract with him. Julius, although he didn't show it, suffered greatly inside. The pain of being forgotten by everyone, even the lady he promised to protect with his life, almost made him give up.
But there was one person who didn't.
Natsuki Subaru.
Not only did Subaru not forget him, but he saved him from depression and convinced him not to give up and to keep going. He told everyone in Pristella who he was, and it was one of the reasons for going to the Pleiades Watchtower, to recover his name.
Even after all this, Subaru said he only did it because he was strong and would be useful in conquering the Watchtower, but Anastasia (then Echidna) secretly told him when they were in the tower that Subaru considered him a friend.
A friend.
Even though Julius had humiliated him at his lowest point, in front of the entire royal selection and the knights of Lugunica.
Even though Subaru was a hero who had defeated two of the Great Beasts, calamities that had terrorized the world for centuries, defeated five Archbishops of Sin, monsters with abilities beyond logic and absolute evil, and conquered the Pleiades Watchtower, a place that no one had ever been able to set foot in.
Those were just a few of the accomplishments Natsuki Subaru had achieved in one year.
And that person considered him a friend.
When Julius heard that from Echidna, his determination grew even stronger, and with Echidna's support, he was able to pass the second trial of the Watchtower, the battle against the first Sword Saint, Reid Astrea. By making a new contract with his quasi-spirits, who evolved into spirits and formed an even stronger contract than before.
Even after defeating the two Archbishops of Gluttony, Julius did not regain his name, and his mistress, Anastasia, still could not remember it.
Julius had resigned himself to never being able to recover his name, to his mistress never remembering it, and he was fine with that. Although deep down, he wanted to recover his
name, and for his mistress to remember it.
Julius: "My lady, do you really remember me...?" Julius hoped that he would finally get his name back. He wanted it with all his might, but part of him also didn't want to know the answer.
What if she didn't remember? What if it was just false hope? Although, thinking about it logically, it made sense that she would have remembered. That sound like something breaking caused Rem, who was in worse condition than Julius, to regain her name and memories.
Anastasia: "Yes, it's true. Although I did it a few minutes ago, I didn't want to interrupt the moment, but yes. I remember you completely, Julius Juukulius, my one and only loyal knight." Putting an end to his fear, Anastasia gave him the answer that Julius so desperately wanted to be true.
Julius felt his eyes begin to water, threatening to flood everything. But he maintained his composure, as a gentleman must always maintain his composure no matter the situation,
although he allowed himself a small smile on his face, and his eyes said everything his body couldn't say anyway.
Julius then knelt in front of Anastasia and recited his oath again.
Julius: "Thank you for giving me the greatest honor of all, my lady. Julius Juukulius, spiritual knight and your only knight, is at your service." Julius finished and slowly stood up, and was greeted with a warm embrace from his lady.
Although Julius was about to object, Anastasia interrupted him and said, "Let me hug you a little longer, my knight. This is an order from your lady after all." She said as she smiled and continued to hug him.
Julius, even though it wasn't in the knight's code of conduct, his lady's orders took priority over everything else, so although a little uncomfortable, he returned his lady's embrace, and shortly after, they parted ways.
Meili: "Although the reunion between onii-san and the blue onee-chan was very moving, I still want to know where we are, if it's not too much trouble." Meili said, making sure that all the reunions were over.
Emilia: "... Oh! Yes, Subaru, do you know where we are? I've never seen or heard of this place." Hearing Meili's words, Emilia snapped out of her reverie and asked Subaru the same question.
Subaru, who suddenly turned red from head to toe, realized that they were still in Japan, a strange place for everyone except him, and that everyone had seen his reunion with Rem. Subaru had never been so embarrassed in his entire life, not even when he arrived in another world and, unable to read, went into the women's bathroom and was thrown into the canal, or when Julius beat him up when he was acting like an idiot in front of everyone, embarrassing Emilia in the process.
Subaru: "Uhhhhhhhh, uhhhhhhh, yes!" Subaru cleared his throat and stood in front of everyone (after Rem nodded and Ram glared at him).
Subaru: "Ahem, as I was saying before... Rem woke up and Julius got his name back, congratulations by the way, im happy for you. After that, yes. I know exactly where we are, we are in..." Subaru paused for a few seconds, as if waiting for something to interrupt his statement.
Everyone looked at each other for a moment and nodded to Subaru, remaining silent.
Seeing that nothing interrupted him, Subaru continued: "We are in another world, more specifically in... Japan. My homeland."